Leak of the Week: The Blakeslee memo

Here's the text of an email from Assembly GOP Leader Sam Blakeslee that went out this week to the members of the Assembly Republican Caucus. Capitol Weekly obtained a copy.

From: "Blakeslee, Sam"

To: "Assembly Republican Caucus"

Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:57:45 -0700

Subject: Governor's Signatures

Members:

Yesterday we all witnessed the public policy disaster perpetrated by the Governor's hand.

His decision to sign into law some of the most noxious legislative proposals brought before us this year is both disheartening and

revealing.

Most of us have read in today's papers accounts of the Governor's shocking reversal of position on the issues about which we care most deeply: taxes, second amendment rights, family values, over-regulation, etc.

This sudden realignment of his position reminds us to remain vigilant as defenders of Republican principles: limited government, individual freedom and opportunity, the sanctity of the family, and public safety.

We as a Caucus must remain united if we are to prevail in protecting the California taxpayer, business and family from any further

onslaught of taxes, regulation, wasteful spending, and encroachment upon individual liberty.

Where we can find common ground with the Governor — and indeed with momentary coalitions of Democratic legislators — on issues which support our own legislative policy and philosophical goals, good. 

But we should be under absolutely no illusions that the Governor will stand firm with our Caucus on any given issue.

As Benjamin Franklin once wryly noted, "We must hang together, or we most assuredly shall all hang separately."

Below find a list of what are perhaps the top ten worst bills signed by the Governor.

Ten Worst Bills (Out of 478) that Governor Schwarzenegger Signed into Law

SB 54 (Leno) -Recognizes out-of-state homosexual marriages; violates basic principles of Props 8 and 22 and traditional marriage and family values.

AB 962 (DeLeon) – Restrictions and requirements on handgun ammunition sales; impinges upon law-abiding citizens and businesses.

SB 572 (Leno) — Declares May 22nd as Harvey Milk Day; champions homosexual political agenda to detriment of parental consent, traditional family values.

SB 18xxx (Ducheny) – Establishes major reductions in public safety by eliminating supervised parole for broad categories of felons; limits the ability to revoke parolees to state prison for parole violations, and allowing for six weeks of credit PER YEAR off an existing sentence.

SB 83 (Hancock) – Violates the 2/3rds vote principle of Propositions 13 and 218 to authorize a countywide transportation planning agency to place a majority vote ballot measure before the voters authorizing the imposition of an annual fee of up to $10 for every vehicle registered in the county for the purpose of funding congestion management and pollution mitigation programs.

AB 1053 (Solorio) – Weakens public safety by providing for a 90-120 day early release of Division of Juvenile Justice wards who will be released from division custody because they will reach either the maximum custody time or the jurisdictional age limit (either age 21 or 25, depending on the offense).

SB 104 (Oropeza) – Harms businesses and increases consumer costs by expanding the scope of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) by adding nitrogen trifluoride to the definition of "greenhouse gas.")

AB 108 (Hayashi) – Increases healthcare costs for all by prohibiting health plans and health insurers, after 18 months from the issuance of an individual health plan contract or health insurance policy, from rescinding the individual coverage for any reason, and prohibits canceling, limiting, or raising premiums in a contract or policy due to any omissions, misrepresentations, or inaccuracies in the application form, whether willful or not.

AB 119 (Jones) – Similarly increases healthcare costs for all by prohibiting health plans and health insurers from charging a premium, price, or charge differential for health care coverage because of the gender of the prospective subscriber, enrollee, policyholder, or insured. 

AB 286 (Salas) – In a manner similar to many measures, extends fee authority without the 2/3rds vote threshold of Propositions 13 and 218 extends the sunset date from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2018 on the authority permitting counties to impose a $1 annual vehicle registration fee (additional $2 on commercial vehicles) — without a vote of the people. ***This bill is representative of many more that impose fees, increase fees, or improperly grant increased fee authority without a prior affirmative two-thirds vote of the affected electorate consistent with the letter and spirit of Proposition 218.

Examples:

SB 167 (Ducheny) – Waste tires;

SB 645 (Lowenthal) – Used oil;

SB 310 (Ducheny) – Water quality and storm runoff;

SB 260 (Wiggins) manufactured motor oil;

SB 676 (Wolk) – document recording